'Difficult to Convert to Money' Cow... 30-Year-Old Caught Stealing Bull Semen

30s Caught Fleeing After Stealing Hanwoo Bull Semen
Crime Likely Committed to Improve Meat Yield and Quality

A man in his 30s who broke into a livestock research center to steal semen from a genetically superior Hanwoo sire was caught by the police. A sire refers to a bull that represents the national bulls of South Korea and supplies semen to breeding cows nationwide.

Nationally Certified Bull.
[Photo by Rural Development Administration]

On the 18th, the Jangsu Police Station in Jeonbuk announced that they had apprehended and were investigating Mr. A for unauthorized nighttime intrusion and theft at the livestock research center. Earlier, Mr. A is suspected of breaking into the livestock research center located in Jangsu-gun around 8 p.m. on the 8th and stealing semen from a sire before fleeing.

It was revealed that Mr. A meticulously planned the crime, including preparing a low-temperature nitrogen container in advance to prevent the semen from deteriorating. The police explained that the stolen semen has an invaluable worth as it can significantly improve the quantity and quality of Hanwoo beef.

Following a report from the research center about the stolen semen, the police launched an investigation and analyzed closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, capturing Mr. A within a week of the crime. It turned out that Mr. A, who was working in the livestock industry, was well aware of Hanwoo improvement and superior sires and committed the crime to exploit this knowledge financially. He even sold some of the stolen sire semen to others for monetary gain.

The police stated that they plan to investigate the specific details of the crime and the extent of the damage.

Meanwhile, a sire, often called the "national representative bull," costs about 1 billion KRW to raise one. To be listed as a sire, one must overcome an average competition ratio of 200 to 1, and bulls with excellent pedigree, appearance, and genomic information are selected. On average, one sire supplies semen to 100,000 cows, undergoes regular health checkups every six months, and enjoys a luxurious life by consuming specially ordered feed and multivitamins prepared according to expert-designed diets.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.